As you may have guessed, I’m sort of a health nut.  So it should come as no surprise that I am a huge advocate of company wellness programs!  It’s been very satisfying to see the recent resurgence of interest in these programs, so I wanted to talk a little about what they are and how they can benefit you.

With the rise of obesity and the decline of physical activity in our society, we are seeing an increase in diabetes, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease and many other chronic diseases. For example, the number of obese individuals in the United States grew by 61% from 1991 – 2000. Not only is this bad news for us as individuals, it’s also alarming news for employers.

Companies are paying attention to these health trends and some are taking action.  Company wellness programs are an effort to curb rising health problems, using the mindset that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. By encouraging healthy habits in their employees, companies utilizing wellness programs are doing their part to help keep health care costs down.  

Worksite wellness programs focus on prevention and self efficacy. If employees are educated about their health and potential risks they are more likely to take better care of themselves and get routine checkups. And this means lowering medical bills!

The Wellness Councils of America noted that for every one dollar spent on a wellness program, small businesses saved an average of $24.00! It pays to be healthy!

So what is involved with wellness programs? Each program is different depending on the wants and needs of each organization.

At Group Health Cooperative, employees are offered incentives to attend onsite educational presentations and get vaccinations and blood pressure screenings. In addition, employees are encouraged to get their regular checkups and preventive screenings. Physical activity is also a component – spreadsheets are available to employees to help them keep track of their minutes. We have Wellness Coaches that are available if we have questions about moving toward a healthier lifestyle or if we just want some support.

Group Health Cooperative employees and members also have access to over 75 health and wellness product and services discounts as a part of our Journey program!

I would love to hear about your workplace wellness program! Does your company have any health incentives? What do you think would make these programs more effective?

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